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Touch and go on Bergdahl release until very end

Soldier was apparently disillusioned with the war and left his post

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Jun 3, 2014

Right up until the moment Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was freed, U.S. officials weren't sure the Taliban would really release the only American soldier held captive in Afghanistan in exchange for high-level militants detained at Guantanamo Bay.

It was touch and go. But then came the call at 5:12 p.m. Saturday on a secure phone line at the U.S. Embassy in Doha, Qatar. U.S. negotiators learned that Bergdahl, a 28-year-old from Hailey, Idaho, held by the Taliban for nearly five years, was aboard a Delta Force helicopter bound for a U.S. base north of Kabul.

Bergdahl's release has hardly been a straightforward yellow-ribbon moment for the U.S. Bergdahl apparently was disillusioned with the war and left his post. The decision to free him in exchange for five top Taliban officials who have been held in the U.S. detention center in Cuba has raised questions about whether such a swap was too big a concession to make.

According to a State Department official directly involved in the negotiations in Doha, U.S. officials who had holed up in the embassy for three straight days thought the final days of negotiations with the Taliban's political leadership, through Qatari intermediaries, had gone pretty smoothly. The U.S. had gotten the Taliban to agree that the five detainees would be prohibited from traveling outside Qatar for a year after their release — something the Taliban earlier had opposed. In return, the U.S. agreed to release all five detainees at once, not one or two at a time as previously offered, in an effort to get Bergdahl back more quickly.

Still, the negotiators weren't positive the deal would work until they got the call that U.S. forces had the Army sergeant, who broke down and cried during the flight. After the call, the negotiators were emotional, too, he said.

"Backslapping was not how I would describe it," he said. "It wasn't like New Year's Eve. It was emotional, but not a giddy moment."

It's still unclear what the exact breakthrough moment was, but over lengthy negotiations the official said the talks gelled. Both sides wanted it to happen immediately before it could fall apart.

Details of the secret negotiations were described by the State Department official. But other information on the state of diplomacy between the Taliban, the U.S. and others was described by other current and former U.S. officials. None were authorized to speak about the deal publicly and spoke only on condition of anonymity. The negotiating team included two each from the State Department and the Pentagon, one from the White House national security staff and two from the U.S. Embassy in Doha.

President Barack Obama, in Europe for meetings with several nations' leaders and NATO officials, said Tuesday his administration had consulted with Congress about that possibility "for some time."

The prisoner swap idea had evolved in fits and starts since early 2011. The idea of an exchange was one of three confidence-building measures that were meant to open the door for the Afghan government to hold direct peace negotiations with the Taliban.

The goal was for the Taliban network to disassociate itself from international terrorism, which essentially required them to break ranks with al-Qaida, and open a political office in Qatar. In June 2013, the Taliban opened the office, adorning it with the same white flag flown during its five-year rule of Afghanistan that ended with the 2001 American-led invasion. Afghan President Hamid Karzai became incensed because he saw that as a Taliban effort to set up a government-in-exile. While the office never opened, Qatar proved a good place to have back-channel communication with the Taliban.

The State Department official, who spent the past 11 days in Doha helping guide the final round of negotiations to release Bergdahl, said that after the office-opening incident, the U.S. made it clear that it was amenable to indirect or direct talks with the Taliban.

In September 2013, the Taliban made an offer that appeared to be a request for direct talks about the Taliban detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. responded by seeking proof that Bergdahl was still alive. The Taliban released a video of Bergdahl in January.

A month later, however, the Taliban said they had suspended talks with the U.S. to exchange Bergdahl for the five Taliban officials. U.S. officials viewed it as a relatively mild rebuff and went to the Qataris to find out whether there still was the possibility of talks about the detainees. The Qataris agreed to act as an intermediary and after some consideration, the Taliban decided they were willing to talk.

No substantive discussion about terms of the swap occurred before both sides agreed to the latest talks, which started in late March or early April. U.S. officials were never in the same room with the Taliban leaders.

U.S. officials would talk to the Qataris, who would then contact the Taliban. Sometimes a couple of weeks would pass before U.S. officials would get a response from the Taliban on various issues involving the swap. In the few days leading up to Saturday's release, the communication became more frequent and the turnaround time was only a day.

U.S. officials did their negotiating in various Qatari government buildings — once changing venues because of broken air conditioning.

The State Department official said there was not a single breakthrough that allowed the swap to materialize, although U.S. officials believed that the Taliban's decision to accept the one-year travel ban for the released detainees was a large step forward. In earlier rounds of negotiations, the Taliban had always sought exemptions from the travel ban for medical purposes or other reasons.

The official said the detainees' activities will be limited in Qatar, an Arab emirate on the Persian Gulf, but that the conditions are not like house arrest. The five detainees, who are all in their 40s, received physicals upon arriving in Qatar on Sunday.

By last Wednesday morning, the U.S. negotiators had finalized the broad terms of the agreement. Then it was down to risky logistics of actually transferring Bergdahl in a war zone where both sides, who are fighting each other, had to be present.

Even on Saturday, up until the moment Bergdahl walked free, the U.S. negotiators were on the phone talking to the Taliban political leaders — through the Qataris — trying to prevent a misunderstanding from scuttling the deal.

Comments

YoMamma

Tue, 06/03/2014 - 6:14pm

Disillusioned or a Muslim sympathiser, in Hussain's world their both the same. Did you catch the smirk on his face when the defectors dad was speaking Muslim in the rose garden?

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 8:43am

How do you speak Muslim?

observer

Tue, 06/03/2014 - 6:22pm

The events taken in their entirety point toward severe malfeasance of office on the part of our Muslim (meaning anti-American) so called leader. The army deserter is unworthy of the lives of his six fellow servicemen who died while attempting to locate and rescue him. His father is also an anti American Muslim scumbag. It's time to start recognizing that the enemy is among us, and all the hand wringing about being nice that Americans do is just a wage of time, while the Taliban sharpen their knives for the big day.
Read the "TWEET" from this guy's father:https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BpIJ...

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 8:44am

What is your problem with Muslims?

Little Giant

Tue, 06/03/2014 - 7:31pm

Just a couple of years ago you guys elected a deserter as President. Bush was AWOL during Vietnam and his daddy at the CIA made sure those records were destroyed.

anthras

Tue, 06/03/2014 - 7:42pm

Re:"Just a couple of years ago you guys elected a deserter as President. Bush was AWOL during Vietnam and his daddy at the CIA made sure those records were destroyed."

I do think that you must submit your proof to the proper persons as soon as possible so that they can be punished. If you do not have the proof then you should advise it is only your opinion.

freespeech1

Tue, 06/03/2014 - 9:22pm

You really need to show proof of your statement! Dan rather was run out of CBS for what u stated it was found to be false. Good try though

airborneforever

Tue, 06/03/2014 - 7:39pm

While neither are favorable, walking off a guard duty post in a war zone is much worse than hiding in a different country rather than going to war. Our deal for him was a bad deal. I am not a bush supporter, but at least he had the guts to know it wasn't for him, rather than put every person on that base in danger. Whether bergdahl was a deserter or wanted to explore, he should be punished severely.

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 8:46am

W said he would have done the same thing.

Contango

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 8:59am

Re: "W said he would have done the same thing."

Good to see the Obamabots chime in.

Where's your proof of your statement?

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 10:24am

Would you want your son freed?

Hint: the answer is not on the back of a Kessler's bottle.

Contango

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 2:34pm

"W said he would have done the same thing."

You're delusional, dweeb.

Dr. Information

Mon, 06/09/2014 - 3:23pm

If my son abandoned his post and swore to bring violence to his supposed country and military. As tough as that pill would be to swallow, I'd say he gets what he deserves. He was a deserter and Obama just played the worse game of monopoly ever.

Most everyone thought we were getting a good guy back. Instead we got a p...o...s.

sugar

Tue, 06/03/2014 - 11:46pm

Deserter and traitor, they should return him and his anti American parents to the Taliban . Oh and pick up the Criminal and Chief take him too.

Stop It

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 2:10am

What? All of a sudden those five terrorists are just gonna quit being terrorists after spending years in a USA military prison? What did we gain in this exchange?

thinkagain

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 5:43am

The traitor-in-chief doesn’t care if these freed goons kill a few Americans.

I can hear Hitlery now, “what difference does it make?”

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 10:33am

Those "freed goons" have not been found guilty of anything!

thinkagain

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 11:30am

Please take your head out of obama's bum...you're embarrassing yourself!

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 12:30pm

Says the false prophet......................

thinkagain

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 3:33pm

Good to know your false prophet the messiah-in-chief told you the same thing. Probably not enough room up there with both you and coaster at the same time.

Don’t waste any time or energy telling yourself that your head should never have gotten up there in the first place, cause knowing you, it won’t be the last time.

Maybe you guys should switch off…or get the poor prez some K-Y Jelly.

deertracker

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 10:44am

You are a SINNER in the worst way!

grumpy

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 5:58pm

So you are saying that they have that in common with those that obama droned... along with all those around the ones droned that were also killed? If so you are correct. Those who were droned were found guilty of nothing.

YoMamma

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 6:10am

Could this set the table for a drone attack on US soil?

meowmix

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 7:30am

It's likely that those of you who feel this man is a deserter/traitor also view Ed Snowden as some type of hero-- If Obama is for it, you're against it.

Contango

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 7:41am

Re: "Ed Snowden as some type of hero"

According to polls, about 40% of Dems view him as such.

Diane Feinstein has spoken out about this potential illegal trade of the five terrorists.

Pres. Obama says that we will monitor their actions. LMAO!!!!

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 10:35am

Oh boy, someone ^^^^^^^^ is reading the back of a Kessler's bottle......AGAIN!

Snowden is no hero, but his actions have not resulted in American deaths, unlike sgt burghal who also voiced his hatred of America.

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 10:31am

We still can't leave him behind. Free him and prosecute!

JACKEL

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 9:09pm

They left many behind in Korea who had gone over !

The Big Dog's back

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 6:56pm

How do you know snowden's actions haven't resulted in any deaths?

jazzbo

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 1:28pm

meowmix- Good point

Little Giant

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 8:32am

When was this soldier found guilty?

blackjack82

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 8:43am

Kind of reminds me of past Browns trades, give up 5 first round draft picks for a bench warmer !!

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 9:00am

If anyone on this forum would have preferred their own son/daughter be left over there to die, speak now or STHU! If the guy is guilty of a crime, prosecute him. Period. You don't leave the guy behind.

Are we the home of the brave or not? Stop acting like little scared b^%ches because five uncharged supposed worst of the worst are free in another country miles and miles away. I read all this tough talk on here about how you would kill some harmless drunk that stumbled into your house by accident but now you are scared of exactly what?

The Afghanistan war is ending so the prisoners were going to have to be sent back anyway. DUH!

Why would anyone want their "tax" dollars paying for Gitmo.

Your beloved Israelis did a 1000 to 1 swap. Just another attack on this President.

Donegan

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 9:38am

I halfway agree with the first part of your post. There does need to be a investigation into the accusations and then the military should act upon it. I am not judging this guy till something solid comes out, Not just hearsay.
As for the rest it is hopeful thinking which is unfortunately wrong. The Islamist are religious fanatics and they will not stop till they or us are dead. They have no care for their own lives and see it as a bonus to die for their cause. Afghanistan is not over just wait and see. Where i see where Obama has went wrong is he once again overstepped his authority by making the trade without notifying congress. He is not a king and has rules which they need to start holding him to. Maybe you should quit defending his wrong actions and holding him responsible once in awhile before the Repubs get back the office and do the same stuff and we all have to hear your dumb a** whine about it.

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 10:30am

Faux news much? I don't know that he did anything illegal but the soldier is free. Would you want your son back? Case closed!

Which half do you agree with, the prosecute him or don't leave him behind?

Donegan

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 12:57am

That whole comprehension thing has you flustered huh? Investigate the soldier to verify the accusations coming from the other solders about his walking off and going AWOL before prosecuting him.
Prosecute the president for overstepping his authority by not telling congress about the trade as is the law.
Get it one is innocent till proven guilty, The other is blatantly guilty of bypassing congress for a feel good story that looks to be just another incompetent move by the liar and chiefs admin.

deertracker

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 8:44am

How does that relate to the FIRST part of my comment? Prosecute the President? GMAB!

Donegan

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 11:33am

"If the guy is guilty of a crime, prosecute him. Period." The president clearly has broken the law. So prosecute him, Period.http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline...
It is also easy to see your hypocrisy shining through.

The Big Dog's back

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 7:02pm

done again, how does it feel to be a hypocrite? You've been whining in your beer for months now about the American terrorist we droned over in Yemen.

Donegan

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 1:00am

If they are citizens they get trials. It is simple as that no matter how much you want to kill citizens off.
BTW Dog, How does it feel to know no one takes your dumb a** serious?

deertracker

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 8:45am

Obama is a citizen!

Donegan

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 8:30pm

Then give him a trial, We all can see what he did and even he even admits it. So prosecute him, You know if you don't want to be a hypocrite.

jazzbo

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 10:33am

I don't take Republicans or Independents (Republican lite ) serious.

Donegan

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 8:32pm

Thats funny, You are so brainwashed into believing what your "party of tolerance" tells you you have become intolerant of others.
As i have said before the nations oldest hate organization is still creating brainless drones to spread their hate.

jazzbo

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 10:48pm

No , I'm not brainwashed.
I figured this out on my own after watching jack-asses like Shaun Hannity.
I used to watch Fox News constantly.
The Republican Party is FULL of lies and hatred.

Donegan

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 11:33pm

"The Republican Party is FULL of lies and hatred." That is different from you hate mongers from the left in the Democrat party how?
I love how the "Party of tolerance" can do nothing more than express what they cannot tolerate. Democrats are no better than repubs, Face it your a hypocrite.

jazzbo

Fri, 06/06/2014 - 9:36pm

And you are a stooge of the Republican Party.

Contango

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 2:31pm

Re: "five uncharged supposed worst of the worst are free in another country miles and miles away"

Yea, and the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were once far away too, dweeb.

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 3:12pm

Well if W had been on his job there would not have been a 9/11.

Contango

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 5:13pm

Re: "Well if (snip)"

The hijackers started there plans under Pres. Clinton, dweeb.

The Big Dog's back

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 7:05pm

Saddam Hussein was doing the dirty work for Raygun. When he said no more he became our enemy.

deertracker

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 8:47am

You don't know when the plans started but we ALL know when they were executed. Stick with what you know!

Contango

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 5:18pm

(Edit)

Most of the hijackers arrived in the U.S. during the Clinton admin., dweeb.

"The first hijackers to arrive in the United States were Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, who settled in the San Diego area in January 2000.

They were followed by three hijacker-pilots, Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, and Ziad Jarrah mid mid-2000 to undertake flight training in south Florida.

The fourth hijacker-pilot, Hani Hanjour, arrived in San Diego in December 2000."

Was W warned about them or not? Yes! His admin. ignored the warning! Don't cherry pick pooh. List all the facts!

Contango

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 5:04pm

Re: "Was W warned about them or not? Yes!"

Prove it, dweeb.

JACKEL

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 9:12pm

We have a President, since when ? I spent eight years in the military defending The Constitution, and Bozo took the same oath and violates at will .

deertracker

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 8:50am

Defending the Constitution against who?

Donegan

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 8:33pm

Hopefully sooner or later against you brainless wonders and your god.

meowmix

Fri, 06/06/2014 - 2:15pm

Good one deetracker! :}

rippedhippy1

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 9:49am

In the picture, and the story in the link Bottom Line posted, he was a PFC when he deserted his post, but now he is a Sgt.? Dang, I wish I had thought of that while I was slogging through the ranks. Desert my post AND continue to get promoted.

JACKEL

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 9:13pm

They would shoot you. You probably don't have the right genes.

themomx6

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 11:13am

Here is a good article:
~~~~

Congratulations, Mr. President! And identical congrats to your sorcerer’s apprentice, National Security Adviser Susan Rice. By trying to sell him as an American hero, you’ve turned a deserter already despised by soldiers in the know into quite possibly the most-hated individual soldier in the history of our military.

I have never witnessed such outrage from our troops.

Exhibit A: Ms. Rice. In one of the most tone-deaf statements in White House history (we’re making a lot of history here), the national-security advisor, on a Sunday talk show, described Bergdahl as having served “with honor and distinction.” Those serving in uniform and those of us who served previously were already stirred up, but that jaw-dropper drove us into jihad mode.

But pity Ms. Rice. Like the president she serves, she’s a victim of her class. Nobody in the inner circle of Team Obama has served in uniform. It shows. That bit about serving with “honor and distinction” is the sort of perfunctory catch-phrase politicians briefly don as electoral armor. (“At this point in your speech, ma’am, devote one sentence to how much you honor the troops.”)

I actually believe that Ms. Rice was kind of sincere, in her spectacularly oblivious way. In the best Manchurian Candidate manner, she said what she had been programmed to say by her political culture, then she was blindsided by the firestorm she ignited by scratching two flinty words together. At least she didn’t blame Bergdahl’s desertion on a video.

The president, too, appears stunned. He has so little understanding of (or interest in) the values and traditions of our troops that he and his advisers really believed that those in uniform would erupt into public joy at the news of Bergdahl’s release — as D.C. frat kids did when Osama bin Laden’s death was trumpeted.

Both President Obama and Ms. Rice seem to think that the crime of desertion in wartime is kind of like skipping class. They have no idea of how great a sin desertion in the face of the enemy is to those in our military. The only worse sin is to side actively with the enemy and kill your brothers in arms. This is not sleeping in on Monday morning and ducking Gender Studies 101.

But compassion, please! The president and all the president’s men and women are not alone. Our media elite — where it’s a rare bird who bothered to serve in uniform — instantly became experts on military justice. Of earnest mien and blithe assumption, one talking head after another announced that “we always try to rescue our troops, even deserters.”

Uh, no. “Save the deserter” is a recent battle cry of the politically indoctrinated brass. For much of our history, we did make some efforts to track down deserters in wartime. Then we shot or hanged them. Or, if we were in good spirits, we merely used a branding iron to burn a large D into their cheeks or foreheads. Even as we grew more enlightened, desertion brought serious time in a military prison. At hard labor.

This is a fundamental culture clash. Team Obama and its base cannot comprehend the values still cherished by those young Americans “so dumb” they joined the Army instead of going to prep school and then to Harvard. Values such as duty, honor, country, physical courage, and loyalty to your brothers and sisters in arms have no place in Obama World. (Military people don’t necessarily all like each other, but they know they can depend on each other in battle — the sacred trust Bergdahl violated.)

President Obama did this to himself (and to Bergdahl). This beautifully educated man, who never tires of letting us know how much smarter he is than the rest of us, never stopped to consider that our troops and their families might have been offended by their commander-in-chief staging a love-fest at the White House to celebrate trading five top terrorists for one deserter and featuring not the families of those soldiers (at least six of them) who died in the efforts to find and free Bergdahl, but, instead, giving a starring role on the international stage to Pa Taliban, parent of a deserter and a creature of dubious sympathies (that beard on pops ain’t a tribute to ZZ Top). How do you say “outrageous insult to our vets” in Pashto?

Nor, during the recent VA scandal, had the president troubled himself to host the families of survivors of those vets who died awaiting care. No, the warmest attention our president has ever paid to a “military family” was to Mr. and Mrs. Bergdahl.

(I will refrain from criticism of the bumptious attempts to cool the flames of this political conflagration by Secretary Hagel: I never pick on the weak.)

What is to be done? Behind the outrage triggered by Team Obama’s combination of cynicism and obliviousness (Bergdahl was so ill we had to set those terrorists free immediately, without notifying Congress, but now he’s chugging power shakes in a military hospital . . . and all this just happened to come at the peak of the VA scandal . . . ), military members don’t really want to lynch Bergdahl. But they want justice.

Our military leaders need to rediscover their moral courage and honor our traditions, our regulations, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. We need a fresh, unprejudiced 15-6 investigation (the military equivalent of a grand jury). We already know, as the military has known since the first 24 hours after Bergdahl abandoned his post, that sufficient evidence exists for a court-martial, but it’s important to do this by the numbers.

It’s hard to believe that the resulting court-martial would not find Bergdahl guilty of desertion (although there will be heavy White House pressure to reduce the charge to Absent Without Leave, or AWOL, status, a lesser offense). If he is convicted, I for one do not want him to go to prison. I’m sure he’s paid and paid for betraying his comrades, quite possibly suffering brutal sexual violence. But if he is found guilty, he needs to be formally reduced to the rank of private, stripped of all privileges and entitlements (the taxpayer should not pay for a deserter’s lifelong health care — Bergdahl’s book and film deals can cover that), and he should be given the appropriate prison sentence, which would then be commuted by the president. Thereafter, let Mr. Bergdahl go home and live with himself.

As for President Obama, how about just one word of thanks to the families of those fallen soldiers you sent out to find Bowe Bergdahl?

Would you want your son freed or any of the x6? It is very possible that Bergdahl did serve with honor and distinction at some point. We all fall down. I am okay with punishing him if he is guilty of anything but to do that you have to ring him home. DUH? What about that military code?

Contango

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 2:33pm

Re: "Would you want your son freed,"

At what price?

I'd let your kid rot, dweeb.

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 3:15pm

I wouldn't even let your kid rot pooh.

I would want my kid freed at ANY price!

Contango

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 5:35pm

Re: "I would want my kid freed at ANY price!"

I want it and to h*ll with everyone else that this 'trade' may put in danger.

Selfish dweeb, real selfish.

JACKEL

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 9:18pm

Tracker,What branch of the service were you in ? If you are not a veteran, shut up. You have no idea what you would do or want .If you are ,you may speak and don't give me 1st amendment rights because your buddies are trying to replace that !

deertracker

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 8:56am

I was not in any branch of the service and I am proud of that. Military service is a choice not a requirement. It does not negate any of my birth rights. No one is infringing on any of our Constitutional rights. So you cleaned the barracks and washed a few million dishes. BFD!

The Big Dog's back

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 7:08pm

non mom of 6, what if it was one of your 6? A real mother would never feel the way you do.

wasthere

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 11:44am

Tell me how people like deertracker, coasterfan, Bigdog, and Santown419 can continue to run their mouth about Fox News unless they have been watching it themselves? These four have done more to drive people to vote Republican than anyone I know.

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 12:34pm

I do watch Faux news sometimes. That's how I know it is a bs news source. It is you that should turn the channel at least sometimes. You must enjoy watching all those fake Barbies.

ladydye_5

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 1:36pm

So where do you get your news? The gay/lesbian channel of MSNBC?

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 3:28pm

Homophobic much? What they do in their private lives is not my concern nor is it any concern of mine .....or yours. MSNBC does present facts and willingly makes any necessary corrections unlike Faux news.

They even have a black fake azz Barbie!

What would you do if you had a gay child?

ladydye_5

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 2:00pm

Oh, so you get upset when someone makes fun of the channel YOU watch. That was the point. I do not care about what anyone does in their private lives. As for having a gay child, would not bother me. And why do you say they present "facts"? Who says they are facts and other channels are not? What IS a "black fake azz Barbie"? It was the fact that ALL news channels are slanted ONE way or the other. They all have a side they take. Honestly I do not watch EITHER one. I channel surf, stopping long enough to watch a snippet and laugh at all of them. They all stretch the truth to fit their needs.

deertracker

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 3:26pm

You are projecting! I have no reason to be upset. Faux just rails against the President regardless of the topic. That's not news or factual.

Black azz fake Barbie = a black woman with the long fake Barbie hair with the very unattractive blue eye shadow and generic lipstick.
Most Black women don't need all that!

I get my humor from Faux news and the ID channel is the favorite.
If the gay thing was not an issue for you, why bring it up?

CNN, which has branded itself around reporting resources and reach, cut back between 2007 and 2012 on two areas tied to that brand—in-depth story packages and live event coverage. Even so, CNN is the only one of the three big cable news channels to produce more straight reporting than commentary over all. At the other end of that spectrum lies MSNBC, where opinion fills a full 85% of the channel’s airtime.1

A separate Pew Research examination of programming in December 2012 found MSNBC by far the most opinionated of the three networks, with nearly 90% of its primetime coverage coming in the form of opinion or commentary. And that remains the case with many of its packaged segments. Host Rachel Maddow, for example, often begins her show with a lengthy segment combining a monologue with video clips that can last for seven minutes or longer.

Still, the increasing reliance on packaged segments on MSNBC in prime time does not translate into more straight news reporting. For example, host Rachel Maddow often leads her program with a long package filled with her own opinions on a subject. Indeed, the Pew Research analysis of three days of cable coverage in December 2012 finds that opinion and commentary overwhelms straight news—86% to 14%—on the network’s prime time programs. That is the highest percentage of prime-time opinion of any of the three channels.

This research project is not just limited to the one page I linked here but covers much more. Deer, feel free to show their findings as wrong about how much time is spent on MSNBC on facts compared to opinion. The numbers just don't agree with your statement, as shown above. You can also find how Fox does. I rarely watch either. They don't take the Comedy channel into consideration on tracking news. So where some folks get their news from is not studied and used in this report.

deertracker

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 8:59am

You guys go after MSNBC because you are HOMOPHOBES!

Contango

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 9:01am

Re: "You (snip)"

To quote you:

“You're not making any sense....as usual!”

– deertracker, 6/12/13

deertracker

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 9:03am

Truth hurts huh? Get over it!

Contango

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 9:11am

Re: "Truth (snip)"

Now you're a kiss *ss for MSNBC. :)

deertracker

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 10:48am

Is kiss azz your new phrase? Keep sucking on that gallon of Kessler's. The only real listener you have.

Contango

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 5:07pm

Re: "kiss azz"

To quote you kiss *ss:

"I just give credit where it is due."

grumpy

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 10:01am

"You guys go after MSNBC because you are HOMOPHOBES!"

Where did I "go after" MSNBC? I simply posted a study showing that MSNBC is 85% opinion and commentary programing and 15% actual fact based news reporting.

I have no idea what their sexual orientation anyone there is, nor do I care. Why do you bring it up? I would imagine it is about what the rest of the population is. What difference does it make?

deertracker

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 10:52am

A study? Get real! Name one program that is all about opinion. You are confusing MSNBC with Faux news!

grumpy

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 4:59pm

Maddow and Mathews both are commentators, which are opinion shows. They may mix facts in among opinions but they are not fact based news shows. They are opinion based comentary shows. Much like O'riely and Hannity are.

You agree witth the opinions of Maddow and Mathews, and disagree with the opinions of O'rielly and Hannity, but that doesn't make one a fact based news program and the other an opinion show. They all are opinion based shows that use some facts and much opinion.

News shows tell what thiungs have happened, and leave the comments and opinions out.

Did tyou even read the study, or any part of it? bet you didn't since it doesn't show what your preconcieved notions are.

jazzbo

Sat, 06/07/2014 - 7:46pm

"They may mix facts in among opinions but they are not fact based news shows."

MSNBC mixes in opinions based on facts.
In the case of Fox News , their opinions are based on half-facts.

Dr. Information

Mon, 06/09/2014 - 3:20pm

MSNONEWS is still talking about a traffic jam on a bridge in New Jersey.

Yeah, they blow and their ratings prove it. Lol. Keep watching shitty news and expect to get the truth.

jazzbo

Thu, 06/12/2014 - 5:44pm

Shi ## y news = Fox news.

Fox news present half-facts and half-facts are lies.

Donegan

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 11:39pm

Wore the race card out huh? The reason you people cannot question any liberal media site/channel is because that would take something you people just don't have, Brains.

Donegan

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 11:38pm

'

looking around

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 1:57pm

Here is to hoping that the detainees released were implanted with tracking devices so that they will lead us directly to the rats nests, giving the precise coordinates for the drone strikes to begin.

Who cares what they are afraid of? Not our problem. High paid ppl? LMAO!

Contango

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 5:09pm

Re: "Who cares what they are afraid of?"

Selfish dweeb, real selfish.

KURTje

Wed, 06/04/2014 - 10:11pm

What does Di*k Chaney & a blo-rod share? Both never served.

Contango

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 7:08am

Re: "Di*k Chaney"

Off-topic.

Reality: 20, kurtie, - 20

KURTje

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 6:07pm

More plagiarism from the non-veteran...@ (you know who).

Contango

Fri, 06/06/2014 - 7:48am

More lunacy.

Reality: 200, kurtie: - 300

Dr. Information

Mon, 06/09/2014 - 3:18pm

Cuntje thinks serving on a boat that never left the docks spraying for cockroaches has made him entitled.

meowmix

Mon, 06/09/2014 - 3:32pm

You are a pathtic person Dr. Information to post the name you did in reply... guess what? I think you're inappropriate! Alert to moderator-done.

Dr. Information

Mon, 06/09/2014 - 3:16pm

This isn't a case of no man left behind. This is a case of Obama playing shitty poker with a deserter and terrorists.

Par for the day from Obama.

meowmix

Mon, 06/09/2014 - 3:36pm

Guess what people? Those 5 Taliban members who were released are now probably on the run for their very lives and looking skyward every chance they get. They couldn't get droned in Gitmo. Who is to say their release was a bad thing? You don't think their whereabouts aren't probably already known? Of course, you didn't think of that now did you? Too busy belitting and berating the POTUS that the brain just couldn't maybe think of that eh?